Machine for making tubes or cartons from paper



(No Model.) 4 SheetsSneet 1.

v W, G. OHA PIN. MACHINE FOR MAKING TUBES OR GARTONS FROM PAPER.

NO. 488,888. Patented 081;. 21, 1890.

five By S Attorney.

WITNESSES:

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. G. OHAPIN.

MACHINE. FOR MAKING TUBES 0R GAR-TONS FROM PAPER.

Patented 0013.21,].890fi INVENTOR'Z WITNESSES:

Attorney.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet-3.

W. G. GHAPIN. MACHINE FOR MAKING TUBES OR GARTONS PROM PAPER.

No. 438,838. Patented Oct. 21, 1890.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

W. G. OHAPIN.

MACHINE FOR MAKING TUBES 0R GAR-TONS FROM PAPER. No. 438,838. PatentedOct. 21, 1890.

Byq

m: scams PETERS cu, PHOTD-L|THO., wasmuc'rou, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC WILLIAM G. CHAPIN, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

MACHINE FOR MAKING TUBES OR CARTONS FROM PAPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.438,838, dated October21, 1890.

Application filed July 29, 1889.

Serial No. 319,005. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. CHAPIN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have inventedcertain Improvements in Machines for Making Tubes or Cartons from Paper,&c., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of machines employed for makingcartons or tubes from paper and the like in which a strip of paper isscored and folded into the form of a flattened tube, and the edgesthereof united by a closing-strip of paper or the like, glued or gummedthereto.

The object of my invention is to improve the machine now in use andemployed in the manufacture from a continuous strip of cor rugated paperof cartons for use in packing bottles for transportation.

My invention will be fully described hereinafter, and its novel featurescarefully defined in the claims.

The invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinFigure l is a side elevation of a machine for making paper tubes orcartons embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is an under side plan view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same, andFig. 4 is an end view. Fig. 5 is a View showing the folder detached, andis designed to illustrate the peculiar form of the folder-bars and themanner of mounting them. Figs. 5 5 5, and 5 are detail views, that willbe hereinafter described. Figs. '6 and 6 are somewhat enlarged sectionalviews of the flattened tube at differentstages of its construction. Fig.7 is a plan, and Fig. 8 a side ele vation, of a machine for makingcartons or tubes of paper embodying my improvements. In these views themachine is represented as resting on the floor. Figs. 9 and 10 areenlarged detail views, that will be hereinafter described. Fig. 11illustrates a modification.

I will say as a preliminary to the description of the machine embodyingmy invention that heretofore such machines have embodied a guide for thepaper on its way to the creasers, a creaser for forming longitudinalcreases in the strip of paper where it is to be folded, a folder, agumming device to supply gum or cement to a narrow closing-strip ofpaper, which latter is pressed down on the moving flattened tube andunites theabutting edges of the same, an endless carryingbelt of canvasfor the flattened tube, said belt being arranged under the tube, and asteamheated chamber arranged over the moving tube and serving as adrier. I do not claim, broadly. Such machines have always been arrangedto stand on the floor, with the creasers, the gumming mechanism, and theheater above the moving strip or tube, and the guide, folder, andendless carrying-belt below the strip or tube. In the preferred form ofmy machine I reverse this arrangement by inverting the machine andsuspending it from the ceiling of the room or from the beams overhead.

Heretofore the machine referred to has been employed for making tubes orcartons from cross-corrugated paper, to be employed, when out to theproper length, for incasing bottles to be packed for transportation. Myimproved machine is designed for the same purpose; but it may beemployed for making] paper tubes for other purposes.

The first four figures of the drawings illustrate the preferred form ofmy machine, and this I will now describe.

A represents any suitable frame-work to support the moving parts. Thisframe-work is arranged overhead and is secured to the ceiling of theroom.

X represents the roll of paper from which the tube is to be formed. Itis mounted in suitable bearings or brackets in awell-known way, and theend of the strip to of paper from the roll is led over a roller ct to anadjustable guide B, which keeps the strip straight and guides it to acreaser O. From the creaser the strip passes through a folder D, whichfolds the side flaps of the strip in wardly. The strip now has the formseen in the enlarged cross-section, Fig. 6, in which 00 indicates thethree longitudinal creases, along two of which the strip is folded, and0c" represents the nearly-abutting edges of the inwardly-folded flaps.The folded strip passes on from the folder to the point where theclosing-strip is applied.

E represents the gumming device, and Y These features the roll fromwhich is led the closing-strip y.

like, which receives gum or other adhesive material from the gummingdevice, and then passes to the folded strip 00. The strip is applied tothe folded strip at in a manner to cover the nearly-abutting edges at"in Fig. (l, of the latter, and to close the joint and form a flattenedtube, as seen in Fig. 0, which is an enlarged cross-section of saidtube. When the strip y has been applied, the tube passes betweentwo-endless belts, which run face to face. The upper belt F, which maybe of canvas, is mounted on two pulleys c and o and extends the wholelength of the machine, while the lower belt G, which is of thin sheetmetal, is mounted on two pulleys cl and (1. Under the metal belt G isplaced the drier H, which will usually be a tight, shallow chamber ofmetal, charged with live steam. The metal belt G is interposed betweenthe steam-chamber and the under side of the tube, and the closing-stripy will in passing be next to the said metal belt. The portion of themachine occupied by the drier H may be of any desired or suitablelength, the limited space on the drawings making it necessary torepresent this portion much shortened. I will say, however, that thisdrying portion of the machine will be long enough to insure the thoroughsetting of the gum or cement before the tube emerges from the machine atthe delivery-point Z.

I will now describe more particularly the details of construction of themachine.

The guide B consists of two like bars I) I), mounted in the manner ofnuts on two screwshafts I) b, which are transversely arranged in themachine-frame. These shafts have right and left screws, whereby whenthey are rotated the two guide-bars are moved toward or from each othersimultaneously, and the center of the strip ac, whatever may be itswidth, will always coincide with the center or axis of the machine. Eachguide-bar b has an L-shaped cross-section, as seen in the detail View,Fig. 5, whereby the strip 00 is provided with an upright side guide anda plane surface to move over.

111 order to be able to rotate both of the screw-shafts uniformly, andthus preserve the parallelism of the guide-bars, these shafts areprovided with sprocket-pinions 12 W, on which is mounted a link belt 6and one of said shafts is or may be provided with a suitable crank forrotating it.

The creaser C consists of a bearing-roller e, covered with rubber orsome other yielding material, and creasing-disks 6 (see Fig. 5 on ashaft 6 the edges of said disks being arranged to press the paper to becreased up to the bearing-roller.

In order to be able to adjust the creasingdisks or set them nearer to orfarther from one another, I fix on the shaft 6 two heads 6 e and connectthese heads by screw-threaded rods e which pass through apertures in theseveral creasing-disks. Nuts 6 on these rods serve to fix the disksfirmly in place after they have been properly spaced and adjusted.

In order to be able to set the bearing-roller e up to the creasing-diskse, so as to make a deeper crease, I mount the said roller in eccentricbearings. This is illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein 6 represents aneccentric sleeve on the bearing of the roller 6, said sleeve beingprovided with a handle e for rotating it. There will be a similar sleeveon each journal of the roller. 6 (Seen in Fig. 2.)

The folder D consists of two bars arranged parallel extending lengthwiseof the machine and having warped surfaces which turn over inwardly theside flaps of the strip as the latter passes through the folder. Theform of these bars in illustrated in Fig. 5, in which the lower view No.1 represents the receiving ends of the folding-barsff, and the upperviews Nos. 2, 3, l, 5, 6, and 7 represent transverse sections of thesebars at different points along the same. The warped surface of thefoldingbar is such as would be generated by a straight line turningabout a small circle as a center, the line being tangent to said circle,said line having at the same time a movement longitudinally of thefolding-bar. The object of this peculiar warped surface is to turn theflaps of the strip a: over fiat or without curving them, as is done withfolders as usually constructed.

This machine is designed to work on stiff and heavy paper, and it isdifficult to fold it with the usual folders-as, for example, those usedon an envelope-machine, where the warped surface is not generated by astraight line. My folder bends the strip along the crease only, the flapturned over remaining flat.

Two pairs of rollers f f bear on the strip 00 along the lines of thecreases as the flaps are being folded and provide a hearing or supportfor said strip. The bars of the folder may be set nearer or farther fromone another, being secured by screws and nuts to slotted transverse barsf on the machineframe. The rollers f X are set out to the creases bymeans of adjustable fingers f also secured by screws and nuts to two ofthe bars f These rollers f will be set back of the point where thefolders begin to turn the flaps inwardly from a vertical position, andthey require nothing to keep them from moving outward on their shafts,the tendency of the moving strip and the folders being to force theminward or toward each other. The fingers f prevent any inward movement,and the rollers thus remain where they are set. In Fig. 3 these rollersf X are represented as standing with their peripheries far enough fromthe belt F to permit a strip of thick cross-corrugated paper to passbetween them. The distance these rollers stand from the bolt will begoverned by the thickness and character of the paper used.

This roller is driven by a belt,

In order to keep the folded strip straight, I mount in the folder-barsat the point where the said strip emerges from the folder a guide g inthe nature of a blade setperpendicnlarly to the strip and standing inthe narrow space at" in Fig. 6 between the abutting edges of the foldedflaps. This guide and its function will be best understood by referenceto Fig. 5, which shows it in position with respect to the folded strip.The guide g consists of a guiding-blade and an attaching-plate 9 securedthereto. The edges of the latter plate engage recesses in the faces ofthe folderbars f, and wedges are employed for securing it in saidrecesses. The plate 9 stands inclined to the plane in which the foldedstrip moves, and its lower advanced end stands close to said strip andserves to hold the edges of the flaps between the faces of the foldersup to the body of the strip and smooth out any irregularities at saidedges. At the same time the blade g, which stands between the adjacentedges of said flaps, assures the alignment of the folded strip and itsproper presentation to the rollers, through which the strip shall passimmediately after leaving this guide.

While passing through the folder D the strip as is carried forward bythe belt F, which is backed by a series of rollers h, rotatively mountedin the frame of the machine. After the strip emerges from the folder itpasses under pressure-rollers h and over their re spectivebearing-rollers lo, and thence between the two belts .F and G. At thispoint the folded strip receives the. closing-strip g, which comes fromthe gummer. This latter strip, after leaving the roll Y, passes over aroller 1', and thence over the gumming-roller j, which applies theadhesive material to it. The roll j is driven positively in a directionopposite to that in which the strip y moves, and is supplied with gumfrom a reservoir 9" in a well-known way. The gum-roller j is drivenindependently of the other mechanism, in order that it may remain inmotion should the machine be temporarily stopped, otherwise the gumwould dry and cause the roller to adhere to the strip y. After passingthe gumming-roller the strip passes overa guideroller is and thence tothe drier.

I do not wish to limit myself to any special form of gumming device, nordo I claim that herein shown.

I do not consider the belt F as absolutely essential to the operation ofthat portion of the machine where the drying of the gum is effected, butI prefer to employ it. It is less important where the tube is made froma continuous strip than where short strips or sheets are being folded toform tubes.

The thin metal belt G interposed between the drier H and the foldedstrip or tube is driven at the same speed as the tube, and while itserves to transmit the heat from the drier to the tube it interposes ashield to prevent the freshly-gummed and moist strip 3 from beingrubbedoff by contact with afixed part, as. is apt to be the case wherethe said strip moves in contact with the surface of the fixed drier.

In order to provide the moving tube with a yielding pressure on itsupper face to keep it pressed down upon the drier, I mount a series ofrollers Z in the frame of the machine in position to rest upon the upperbelt F, and these rollers are provided with slotted bearings, so thatthey may rise and fall, and thus adapt themselves to inequalities in thetube.

Any suitable gearing, shafts, or belting may be employed for driving themachine. That shown herein comprises a driving-shaft m, from which thegumming-r0ller j is driven by a belt 71.. A belt 0 from a pulley 0 onshaft m drives a clutch-pulley p on a shaft q. From this shaft qthebeltsF and G are driven by suitable gearing. The bearing-roller e of thecreaser is driven from the shaft on which pulley c is mounted. The metalbelt G is provided with a tightening-pulley r.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 is the same as that lastdescribed, except that the machine is inverted and changed in some minordetails, which I will point out.

The gumming device is placed above the machine and the rollYis above thegummingroller. The pressure-rollers Z being new below the flattened tubecannot press thereon by gravity, and are pressed upward by springs undertheir journals. This construction is illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, inthe former of which the screw 3 for regulating the tension of the spring5' is shown.

There may be two driers-one above and one below the tube andcarrying-belts. This is illustrated in Fig. 11, which is a fragmentarysectional elevation. In this view H represents the upper heater,arranged to replace the yielding pressure-rollers seen in Fig. 3.

Sheets or short strips of paper may be formed into tubes or cartonsbythis machine, as well as a long or continuous strip from a roll, andthe tubes maybe formed from plain as well as corrugated paper. Usuallythe closing-strip y will be of thin tough paper; but it may be of cloth,for example. Any suitable adhesive material may be used for at tachingthis strip, as glue, gum, paste, &0.

IVithin limits my machine is readily adjustable laterally to strips ofdifferent widths, it being only necessary to adjust the guide B, creaserO, and folder D, the bearing-rollersf forming a part of the latter.These parts will usually be set by a tram; but the slotted bars f may begraduated along the slots therein for convenience in setting thefolder-bars.

The machine may be set in motion or stopped by means of the clutch I.(Seen best in Fig. 4.) This clutch is a well-known device and will needno description.

The advantage in suspending the machine overhead lies in the economy ofroom on the floor thus attained, and the advantage due to the use of themetal belt Gr lies in the increased speed that may be given to themachine and the consequent increase .in the amount of work turned out.The yielding backing furnished by the rollers Z prevents the choking ofthe machine. This latter difficulty is overcome by the rising of theserollers to permit any obstacle to pass. In replacing the roll X by a newone the rear end of the leading strip will be overlapped by that whichfollows, and this will produce a lump or obstruction which will readilypass the yielding rollers Z.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim- 1. In a machine for makingtubes or car tons, an adjustable creaser C, consisting of abearing-roller, a shaft 6 provided with heads e screw-threaded rods 6extending longitudinally of the shaft between said heads, a creasingdisk or disks mounted looselyon said shaft, said screwthreaded rodspassing through apertures in the creasing disk or disks, and the nuts onsaid rods, all arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the bars f of the folder, of the bearing-wheelsf free to move longitudinally on their shaft, and the adj ustablefingers f for holding said wheels out to the line of the folding-creasesin the strip, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the drier and an endless belt arranged to movein close proximity to the face of the drier, of a yielding backingarranged on the side of the belt opposite to the drier.

4. The combination, with an endless weighted and yielding carrying-beltF and a drier H, said belt running in close proximity to the face ofsaid drier, of the endless metal belt G, running between said drier andthe belt F and at substantially the same speed as the latter, as and forthe purposes set forth.

5. The combination, with the drier and the endless belt F, arranged tomove in close proximity to the face of the drier, of the metal belt Gbetween the belt F and the drier and ayielding backing composed ofrollers l, which bear on the said belt F, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM G. CI-IAPIN. WVitnesscs:

HENRY CoNNE'rT, JOHN D. CAPLINGER.

